Chapter 8 Customer relationship management
What is customer relationship management? Customer relationship management (CRM) are strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving customer service relationships and assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth. A key function for any business is to manage your customer relationship. A solid frame work is necessary for an effective CRM otherwise, service delivery lacks consistency and valuable relationships may suffer. That’s why developing a solid customer relationship management plan is a top priority.
But even the best and biggest companies have challenges with the CRM. Like Booking.com the CRM was a great plan but still there were some points that Booking could improve like, the platform for asking questions is difficult to find and the emails bonded and advocate customers received were full of not valuable discounts as a result that the customers got irritated from. How do the companies these days handle the upcoming social media within the CRM?
These days the social media side of the CRM strategy is really important for the companies. With the growing platforms and customers that are highly focused on their platforms. Therefore the companies need to focus on social media and it’s platforms like, Facebook, Instagram and twitter. With the digital marketing it is possible for consumers to engage with brands across a multitude of channels. The customers expect of the companies to be active, interactive, transparent and have information on demand for the customers this all because of social media.
How do I recognise CRM in the daily life? At first I didn’t know that this were strategies of companies to keep you interested and loyal to them. I have two examples of CRM that I experienced since I know what CRM is.
- The H&M post card.
I often go shopping online on the website of H&M it is an easy website with a lot of clothes that I like. Let say I shopped with them 2 times last month. I am always really happy with the services and with the clothes. Nothing to complain about.
I shopped and waited for my order. When I received my package there was a post card in side that said: You are the best customer ever, thanks for shopping with us. For next time shopping 10% off on your whole shipment. I saw it and I thought that is so nice! I immediately went online and used my 10% off. I also told my mom that I received it and she said: “o that’s great”
This is an example of an offline CRM strategy.
- The Hunkemöller
The Hunkemöller is a store who sells bras, well since I am a girl I buy these once in a while and mostly by Hunkemöller in the online store, I signed up for the newsletter and I receive them but not that often that is great. The last time I bought from the online store I received an email with the question if I wore the right bra and if I didn’t know that there was a special bra fitting day in the Hunkemöller in Amsterdam, and if you went there you got an 50% off of your new bra you bought that day. I thought that this was a really clever strategy because, bras are expensive and everyone likes to know what size you got.
By Amber van der Poel
Source: Stookes, Rob and the minds of Quirk (2018). EMarketing: the essential guide to marketing in a digital world (5th ed). Quirk eMarketing (Pty) ltd. (Ed.).
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